1Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, and Timothy our brother,
2To God’s holy people in Colossae, the faithful brothers and sisters1:2 The Greek word for brothers and sisters (adelphoi) refers here to believers, both men and women, as part of God’s family; also in 4:15. in Christ:
Grace and peace to you from God our Father.1:2 Some manuscripts Father and the Lord Jesus Christ
Thanksgiving and prayer
3We always thank God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, when we pray for you, 4because we have heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and of the love you have for all God’s people – 5the faith and love that spring from the hope stored up for you in heaven and about which you have already heard in the true message of the gospel 6that has come to you. In the same way, the gospel is bearing fruit and growing throughout the whole world – just as it has been doing among you since the day you heard it and truly understood God’s grace. 7You learned it from Epaphras, our dear fellow servant,1:7 Or slave who is a faithful minister of Christ on our1:7 Some manuscripts your behalf, 8and who also told us of your love in the Spirit.
9For this reason, since the day we heard about you, we have not stopped praying for you. We continually ask God to fill you with the knowledge of his will through all the wisdom and understanding that the Spirit gives,1:9 Or all spiritual wisdom and understanding 10so that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and please him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God, 11being strengthened with all power according to his glorious might so that you may have great endurance and patience, 12and giving joyful thanks to the Father, who has qualified you1:12 Some manuscripts us to share in the inheritance of his holy people in the kingdom of light. 13For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves, 14in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.
The supremacy of the Son of God
15The Son is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. 16For in him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things have been created through him and for him. 17He is before all things, and in him all things hold together. 18And he is the head of the body, the church; he is the beginning and the firstborn from among the dead, so that in everything he might have the supremacy. 19For God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in him, 20and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through his blood, shed on the cross.
21Once you were alienated from God and were enemies in your minds because of1:21 Or minds, as shown by your evil behaviour. 22But now he has reconciled you by Christ’s physical body through death to present you holy in his sight, without blemish and free from accusation – 23if you continue in your faith, established and firm, and do not move from the hope held out in the gospel. This is the gospel that you heard and that has been proclaimed to every creature under heaven, and of which I, Paul, have become a servant.
Paul’s labour for the church
24Now I rejoice in what I am suffering for you, and I fill up in my flesh what is still lacking in regard to Christ’s afflictions, for the sake of his body, which is the church. 25I have become its servant by the commission God gave me to present to you the word of God in its fullness – 26the mystery that has been kept hidden for ages and generations, but is now disclosed to the Lord’s people. 27To them God has chosen to make known among the Gentiles the glorious riches of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.
28He is the one we proclaim, admonishing and teaching everyone with all wisdom, so that we may present everyone fully mature in Christ. 29To this end I strenuously contend with all the energy Christ so powerfully works in me.
1Bulus, wanda Allah ya zaɓa don yă zama manzon Kiristi Yesu, da kuma daga Timoti ɗan’uwanmu,
2Zuwa ga tsarkaka da kuma amintattun ’yan’uwa cikin Kiristi da suke a Kolossi.
Alheri da salama daga Allah Ubanmu, su kasance tare da ku.1.2 Waɗansu rubuce-rubucen hannu na dā suna da Uba da Ubangiji Yesu Kiristi
Godiya da addu’a
3Kullum muna gode wa Allah, Uban Ubangijinmu Yesu Kiristi, sa’ad da muke addu’a dominku. 4Gama mun ji labarin bangaskiyarku a cikin Yesu Kiristi da kuma ƙaunar da kuke yi saboda dukan tsarkaka. 5Kuna yin haka ne kuwa domin abin da kuke bege yana a ajiye a sama. Kun riga kun ji game da wannan bege sa’ad da kuka gaskata saƙon nan na gaskiya wanda shi ne bisharar 6da ta zo muku. Ko’ina a duniya wannan bishara tana yi ta haihuwa tana kuma girma, kamar yadda take yi a cikinku tun daga ranar da kuka ji ta kuka kuma fahimci alherin Allah cikin dukan gaskiyarta. 7Kun koyi wannan gaskiya daga wurin Efafaras, ƙaunataccen abokin hidimarmu, wanda yake amintacce mai hidimar Kiristi a madadinmu, 8wanda kuma ya faɗa mana ƙaunar da kuke yi cikin Ruhu.
9Shi ya sa tun daga ranar da muka sami labarin, ba mu fasa yin addu’a dominku ba. Kullum muna roƙon Allah yă sa ku san kome da yake so ku yi, domin ku sami hikima ta Ruhu, ku kuma sami ganewar kome duka. 10Ta haka za ku yi rayuwa wadda ta dace da Ubangiji, ku kuma gamshe shi a ta kowace hanya, kuna yin aiki mai kyau ta kowace hanya, kuna kuma yin girma cikin sanin Allah. 11Allah yă ƙarfafa ku da dukan iko bisa ga ɗaukakar ƙarfinsa domin ku kasance da jimrewa sosai da kuma haƙuri, cikin farin ciki 12kuna gode wa Uba, wanda ya sa kuka cancanci ku sami rabo a gādon tsarkaka a cikin mulkin haske. 13Gama ya riga ya cece mu daga mulkin duhu ya kuma kawo mu cikin mulkin Ɗan da yake ƙauna, 14wanda ta wurinsa muka sami fansa da kuma gafarar zunubai.
Fifikon Kiristi
15Kiristi shi ne surar da ake gani na Allah wanda ba a iya gani, ɗan fari a kan dukan halitta. 16Ta wurinsa aka halicci dukan abu, abubuwan da suke cikin sama da abubuwan da suke a duniya, waɗanda ake gani, da waɗanda ba a gani, ko kursiyoyi ko ikoki ko masu mulki ko hukumomi; an halicci dukan abu ta wurinsa da kuma dominsa ne. 17Ya kasance kafin dukan abu, kuma a cikinsa ne dukan abubuwa suke a harhaɗe. 18Shi ne kuma kan ikkilisiya, wadda take jikinsa. Shi ne mafari da kuma na farko da ya tashi daga matattu, domin a cikin kowane abu yă zama mafifici. 19Gama Allah ya ji daɗi yă sa dukan cikarsa ta kasance a cikin Kiristi, 20ta wurin Kiristi ne ya komar da kome zuwa ga kansa. Ya kawo salama ga abubuwan da suke ƙasa da abubuwan da suke sama, ta wurin jinin Kiristi da ya zubar a kan gicciye.
21A dā kuna a ware da Allah, kuka kuma zama abokan gāba a cikin tunaninku saboda mugun halinku. 22Amma Ɗansa ya zama mutum ya kuma mutu. Saboda haka Allah ya yi sulhu da ku, yanzu kuwa ya bar ku ku tsaya a gabansa da tsarki, marasa aibi, da kuma marasa abin zargi. 23Sai ku ci gaba cikin bangaskiyarku, kuna tsaye a kafe kuma tsayayyu, ba tare da gusawa daga begen da kuka ji daga bishara ba. Wannan ita ce bisharar da kuka ji wadda aka yi shelarta ga kowace halittar da take ƙarƙashin sama, wadda kuma ni Bulus, na zama mai hidimarta.
Hidimar Bulus ga ikkilisiya
24Yanzu, ina farin ciki saboda wuyar da nake sha dominku, don ta wurin wuyan nan zan cika abin da ya rage na wuyar da Kiristi ya sha saboda jikinsa, wato, ikkilisiya. 25Na zama mai hidimar ikkilisiya bisa ga aikin nan da Allah ya ba ni amana saboda ku, domin in sanar da maganar Allah sosai. 26Wannan magana da nake gaya muku asiri ne da yake a ɓoye tun zamanai masu yawa, wanda yanzu aka bayyana ga tsarkaka. 27Su ne Allah ya so yă sanar da yadda irin yalwar ɗaukakar asirin nan take a cikin al’ummai, asirin nan kuwa shi ne Kiristi a cikinku, begen ɗaukakar da za a bayyana.
28Saboda haka ko’ina muka tafi, muna shela, muna gargaɗi, muna kuma koyar da kowa da dukan hikima, don mu miƙa kowa cikakke a cikin Kiristi. 29Don haka ne ina fama, ina kuma ƙoƙari da duk ƙarfin nan da Kiristi ya ba ni.
